The Dax Foundation - a Los Angeles-based private, non-profit philanthropic foundation dedicated to helping people and animals around the world - announced today that it is significantly increasing its support for the arts by establishing its new Performing Arts Charitable Trust (PACT) and has awarded its first grants to four outstanding Los Angeles-based theater groups: Shakespeare Santa Monica, Veterans Center for the Performing Arts, Not Man Apart Physical Theatre Ensemble and Independent Shakespeare Company.

PACT grants are unrestricted financial awards designed to help growing arts groups enhance their performance capabilities, increase awareness of their theatrical projects, and better connect with their local communities. Key goals of the Trust include:

• Identifying exceptional performance arts groups & providing them with the funding, support & resources needed to build sustainable organizations that can grow, flourish & thrive over the long term.

• Enriching the lives of arts lovers of all ages through innovative, memorable performances of moving works from Shakespeare & other great playwrights & composers.

• Forging a tighter bond between arts groups & their local communities that fosters increased local support of the arts & continued enjoyment for residents, families & visitors for many years to come.

"At a time when funding for the arts from both public and privatesources is declining precipitously, we felt compelled to increase ourlong-standing commitment to the arts in Los Angeles," said DaveWeisman, the Dax Foundation's Executive Director. "After privatelysupporting and watching dedicated theatrical companies facesignificant challenges in bringing vital cultural arts to theircommunities, we decided to expand our support for these groups."

Weisman noted that PACT will not just provide one-time grants to"talented groups with an extraordinary passion to perform," but willnurture them & continue to provide assistance over the long run."Beyond just financial support, the Foundation offers them asupportive environment to expand their thinking and take bold steps todeliver powerful performances the entire community can enjoy," Weismanadded.

The Dax Foundation is also announcing that award-winning ShakespeareSanta Monica and Not Man Apart director John Farmanesh-Bocca willserve as PACT's Program Director. "I'm thrilled to be working with theDax Foundation to identify and support outstanding arts groups to helpthem realize their full potential," Farmanesh-Bocca said. "There aremany talented performance groups that could benefit from additionalhelp to bring brilliant arts entertainment to their communities."

In 2008, Shakespeare Santa Monica produced one of the most innovativeand engaging productions of Shakespeare's famous Pericles in years.With the help of a $50,000 performance grant from the Dax Foundation,Shakespeare Santa Monica will be performing several benefitperformances of their acclaimed interpretation, Pericles Redux thissummer at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles to benefitShakespeare Santa Monica's ambitious 2009/2010 season. Tickets forthese upcoming benefit performances and will be available in thecoming weeks via the Center Theatre Group(www.CenterTheatreGroup.org).

"The mission of the Veterans Center for the Performing Arts is tocelebrate military veterans by developing & producing their originalworks, providing world-class theatrical training and enabling positiveartistic expression by delivering thought provoking works from aveteran's perspective," said Stephan Wolfert, Founding Director of theLos Angeles-based organization.

"We're pleased that the Dax Foundation shares our commitment toveterans and their families," he said. "The Foundation's generoussupport will help us continue to provide great theater, such as ourwell received current production of Richard III to our friends,neighbors and communities."

David Melville, Managing Director of the Independent ShakespeareCompany added, "This year is our 10th anniversary, and we have much tocelebrate. Our summertime Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park programcontinues to grow and we anticipate performing for more then 12,000people in 2009. The sponsorship and support of the Dax Foundation iscritical to our continued success and will enable us to enhance ourperformance capabilities and make this our most artisticallysuccessful season to date."

About The Dax FoundationThe Dax Foundation is a private, California-based non-profit,philanthropic organization that implements and supports innovativeprograms that help people around the world identify, pursue andrealize their dreams. The Foundation provides resources, support andraises awareness for individuals and groups whose vision includesmaking the world a better place for people and animals. CurrentFoundation projects include the Mayfair Foundation, a recreation andeducational facility for severely disabled children; Over A Barrel, arescue and treatment facility for abused and neglected animals; Organs‘R' Us, a program dedicated to raising awareness about the criticalneed for life-saving organ donation; Maui Cat, a humane program toreduce the pain and suffering of rampant feral cat populations; andother deserving programs around the world. For more information,please visit www.daxfoundation.org.

About Veterans Center for the Performing ArtsThe Veterans Center for the Performing Arts provides a unique artisticforum for exploring classical theatre and original works from theperspective and experience of the military veteran. Using a widevariety of performance media, the VCPA strives to build a creativebond between the military and civilian communities by allowingveterans to express their "voices" without pity, apology, or politicalagenda. The organization's goal is to promote understanding andempathy for the unique stresses faced by those that have faced combat,and to provide a positive and supportive environment for creativeself-expression. For more information, please visit www.govcpa.com.

About Shakespeare Santa MonicaIn 2009, Shakespeare Santa Monica goes into its sixth season, offeringtop-notch Shakespeare in Santa Monica's Reed Memorial Park with theaim to have Santa Monica join the other great cities in the world thatprovide free Shakespeare to its residents, surrounding communities andvisitors. SSM believes that Shakespeare is most successful when itbecomes a part of the fabric of a community. Comprised of passionateand dedicated university arts educators and working artists, SSM'sall-volunteer troupe is dedicated to life-long education and trainingin the arts. For more information, please visitwww.ShakespeareSantaMonica.com.

About Not Man Apart Physical Theatre EnsembleThe Mission of Not Man Apart is to mount productions using newemerging theatre arts techniques joined with the experimental anddance theater techniques of past decades to create exhilaratingtheatrical events that are at the same time life affirming andconsciousness expanding. NMA is based at the Artistic Sanctuary of theAmericas on the Monterey Peninsula but performs nationally andinternationally. The directors of Not Man Apart also contribute toShakespeare Santa Monica. For more information, please visitwww.NotManApart.com.

About Independent Shakespeare CompanyISC believes that the great works of theater belong to everyone,transcending cultural and economic boundaries. ISC serves thecommunity through creating professional productions of classical playsthat are available to all. Each summer, through the Free Shakespearein Barnsdall Park program (currently in its 6th year), it offersthousands of people access to the great works of theater. ISC is alsocommitted to honoring its artists: the summer repertory companymembers are employed under Actors' Equity Association contracts whichinclude a salary with health and pension benefits (one of only ahandful of such opportunities in Los Angeles.) Through accessible,entertaining productions that rely on skillful speaking and dynamicstaging, ISC strives to expand current audiences and develop the nextgeneration of theater-goers. For more information on the 2009 seasonof The Tempest & Henry V, visit www.IndependentShakespeare.com.